Siddaramaiah denies 'facilitating' VVIP treatment to Sasikala

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been accused of facilitating special favours to jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, on Wednesday claimed that he had not asked the prison authorities to provide any "VVIP" treatment to the Tamil Nadu politico.

A day after retired Director General of Police (Prisons) H N Sathyanarayana Rao revealed that Sasikala was provided with a cot, mattress and pillow on instructions of Siddaramaiah, the latter told the media he told the prison authorities to take measures as per prison laws. "A delegation from Tamil Nadu met me and said that Sasikala has not been provided with a mat and pillow. So I told him (Rao) to provide her with facilities as per prison rules. I have not asked (the officer) to extend VVIP treatment to her. I told Sathyanarayana to merely follow prison rules." Siddaramaiah was speaking to reporters at his official residence Krishna. Rao had made this revelation to an inquiry officer who was probing charges of the officer having accepted Rs 2 crore bribe for extending special treatment to Sasikala. He said that Sasikala was being treated like any other prisoner, until he was summoned by Siddaramaiah and directed to provide her with the above facilities.